In the Long Run

It was only December 1^st when my daughter wrote me that she was having a hard time catching the Christmas spirit. I chuckled and realized that was the prod I needed to start thinking about the holiday at all. I finally threw away the Thanksgiving dinner turkey carcass which had sat in my refrigerator for over a week, from which I had sporadically pulled pieces of meat for a casserole and soup. I plucked the tootsie pop “feathers” out of my Thanksgiving wooden turkey decoration, and packed it away, along with the ceramic Pilgrims and scarecrow wreath. Now I could get on with the festivities of the holiday season.

Except, the days seemed to fritter away with no progress toward “decking the halls” or trimming my home to look “a lot like Christmas”. On the 4^th, I convinced my husband to drag out the house lights. He discovered several burned-out bulbs and one blown fuse. The lights remained bundled, but strewn about on the family room floor for a week until we ascertained that they were so outdated that we could no longer purchase fuses for them.

In the meantime, I persuaded my husband to help me put up the Christmas tree. We wound the lights and garland in lovely flowing waves around the tree, admired our work, and quit. A week later, the tree still does not have any ornaments on it. But hey, last night I hooked up the timer, so the tree lights go on and off by themselves—now I call that progress!

Last night I finally assembled the pieces for our traditional penguin box advent adventure, which the kids excitedly looked forward to every year for almost the last 20 years. Even though my youngest child, Big Guy, is nearly 18, I thought I should do it one final time for him. Unfortunately, I was already 10 days late. Oops.

The realization of all that I need to do hits me as I sit writing about it. I have sticky notes reminding me I need to:

Make pumpkin bread, honey and sugar cookies, peanut brittle, and cathedral windows

Crochet bell ornaments

Edit the Christmas card photo, write my Christmas letter, and mail the Christmas cards

Order the various on-line gifts I have bookmarked

Act crotchety and turn away the young women from church when their leaders bring them to my house on Wednesday (all part of an elaborate and dramatic metaphor of the nativity)

Mail some Christmas gifts to relatives (but first I have to decide exactly what they will be…I’m thinking, I’m thinking!)

Organize some games and a program for the Church adult dinner for Friday night (hmmm…better get going on that one soon)

Dig out the rest of the Christmas decorations and finish adorning the tree and house (I think right now I have about 6 lonely decorations up—a pitiful display of good cheer)

Attend three Christmas parties, one Christmas play, and one Christmas open house, as well as sing in one Christmas fireside and two Christmas programs...not to mention catch all the traditional Christmas shows on television (not going to happen--I already missed The Polar Express)

I add sticky notes daily. I’m not stressed or anything. “Tis the season to be jolly.” “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” “Fa la la la la.” Oh wait. Just thought of one more thing I need to add to my list: “Play Christmas music daily to catch the Christmas spirit.”

Posted by Cyppy at 12:07 AM